D&D 5E What year (or timeline) is Van Richten's 5E Ravenloft set in?

[Dungeonosophy]

Does the new Van Richten guide refer to a date/year? Is it 735 BC (Barovian Calendar)?

My understanding is that there are two distinct Official timelines:

The Ravenloft classic pre-5E timeline (2E/3E). Last product is dated 758 BC.
The 5E Curse of Strahd timeline, which is a different, rebooted version of Ravenloft. Set in 735 BC. Curse of Strahd includes iconic characters from various times, and is set in a time which contradicts the previous timeline.

References:

http://fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/Timeline.

Fraternity of Shadows says: "758 was the year of the "latest" (in time) officially published products (Gaz V & Dark Tales & Distubing Legends) in the last year that Arthaus/WW published Ravenloft. (2004) Many fans have extended the timeline on a year-for-year basis, so it's now unofficially 772 (in 2018). Curse of Strahd exists in a separate timeline than the other Ravenloft products. The book says it takes place in 735, but that's the same year the original "Black Box" setting took place. But the original I6 adventure was placed in 528 by many later products, and Ireena Kolyana appears in both, at apparently the same age. So it's not really possible to reconcile them. CoS took characters from different points in the timeline and put them together in 735 as if they'd always been there." (See also the possibility of the events occurring in a dream sequence in 528 BC: .)

 

[Blue Orange]

Seriously, this is why long-running continuities have reboots periodically; it gets too hard to keep all the lore straight, especially when a lot of the people responsible for it have left.

But the attempts to make it all fit anyway can come up with some creative answers...maybe even some good game ideas!

 

[Kurotowa]

I reject the need to place game supplements on a connected timeline that forms an official meta-plot. I know it was all the rage 25 years ago, but seriously, it did more harm that good. There's reasons no one's following the old White Wolf model anymore. After a certain point it just becomes a millstone around your neck that gets in the way of good game design.

If you really need an in-game justification for it, Ravenloft offers the ready made excuse of "The Dark Powers did it." VRG tells us that every domain's calendar agrees the year is 735, even if they can't explain why, and no one questions it. Maybe the events of 758 were a dream, or a prophecy, or got erased when the domains shifted. Does it really matter to your campaign? Especially if your players have never even read any of those old supplements? I'd say it does not.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

VRG tells us that every domain's calendar agrees the year is 735

Thanks for the quote. That was all I was asking for.

I have no problem with there being multiple Official continuities/timelines/tangents/paraverses/reboots of the same world, and I had no problem with it in the OP.

 

[Kurotowa]

Thanks for the quote. That was all I was asking for.

That wasn't clear to me. But if that's all you want, p64 with the blurb on Time and Dates has what you're looking for. The full quote is:

"While domains don’t ascribe to a shared history, the populace of all domains inexplicably accept the current year as 735. Some local histories cleave to anomalous dates and methods of tracking years, but these are considered obsolete. No such irregularities exist in Barovia, though, where year 1 corresponds with the founding of Barovia by the von Zarovich family."

 

[Sithlord]

I don’t like updating timelines. But for me the lore of my game will be based on 2E. Although I like the 5E magic system better for ravenloft. I will be using 2E turn undead and many ravenloft ideas like sinkholes of evil. I actually can’t wait to get the 5E book and start tearing into it for ideas. Although I will pick and choose lore that I use. Always good to have a book of ideas. I still use ad&d turn undead in 5E for my settings. And protection from evil from the earlier editions too modified further for my needs.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

Seriously, this is why long-running continuities have reboots periodically; it gets too hard to keep all the lore straight, especially when a lot of the people responsible for it have left.

But the attempts to make it all fit anyway can come up with some creative answers...maybe even some good game ideas!

It's hard to keep straight BECAUSE of the reboots

 

[cmad1977]

The real answer is….
Whenever you want it to be.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Something happened in the year 758 or after, causing a reboot of the demiplane and now it is 735. Mepisto says this time it is not his fault.

Floating timeline - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's not in any year. Linear time is a feature of the prime material plane, not the Shadowfell.